In recent times hockey and other playing sticks have become available with hollow shafted handles. The use of the internal space in the handle may permit distributed weighting to be employed as a training feature. Although the use of weights on hockey sticks is known, it may be desirable for the weighting to be internal, such that the external space envelope of the stick is unchanged, and therefore does not affect the ability to play with the stick. It is also desirable that the weighting be simple. It may not be desirable to have complicated assemblies of multiple weights and fasteners. It may be desirable that the weighting be removable. It may be desirable that the weighting not rattle within the stick. It may be desirable that the weighting be damped, or soft.
Earlier known patents include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,697 of McNamera et al., issued Sep. 10, 1974; U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,560 of Gemmel, issued Dec. 21, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,264 of Lanctot; U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,386 of Sasko, issued May 28, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,327 of Bird, issued Mar. 7, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,666 of Manory issued Dec. 11, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,386 of Brundage, issued Feb. 17, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,273 of Zajac et al. issued Sep. 6, 2005; U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,619 of Schutz et al., issued Oct. 18, 2005; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,070,524 of Garvey, issued Jul. 4, 2006;